Dark Angel
by shadowphantomness
Summary: The Four elemental angels decide that it is dangerous to allow pokemon to roam freely in the world. Therefore, they trap the dark powers of the creatures inside four keys and one pure soul. Unfortunately, their ritual did not turn out the way they wanted
1. Prologue

I know, I know. I've got to stop reading dark Yugioh fanfic or the plotbunnies will attack me like mad… but hey, if it works for me to keep CCA going, I'm all for it!  
  


Disclaimer: No, I wish I owned pokemon though. I own… my own characters n' creations…

Notes: As always, ** for thoughts, _italics_ in case a pokemon talks, and for telepathy.

Timeline: Um… I think this is completely unrelated to CCA/Dragon's Love.

Title: Dark Angel

Prologue

            The four elemental angel warriors sat in a semicircle, listening to the lead angel talk. 

            "Those mortals are tapping into a dark power they know not of with their 'pokemon' experiments." He said. "It must be stopped."

            "Using innocent elemental creatures for their pleasure…"

            "Yes." Another spoke. "The dream realm is being corrupted by darkness. And that could well lead to trouble for us."

            "Not to mention there have even been attempts to combine the pokemon and the humans, which is strictly forbidden. Which is why I have summoned you all. We must stop this."

            "But how, my Lord?" The water angel inquired.

            "Trust me. I have found a way…"

            Elsewhere, two little angels, children still, played tag together. Claire smiled at her cousin Catelyn.

            "I'm going to catch you!"

            "No you're not!" Catelyn, who was a year or two older, flew up and away from Claire's outstretched fingers, before diving through a cloud. Her blonde hair glittered in the sunlight. 

            "No fair!" Claire pouted slightly.

            "All's fair in tag!" Catelyn's voice said from somewhere.

            Claire shrugged and dived into a cloudbank to look.

            "Children! Time to eat!" Selene, Claire's mom called.

            "Coming!" Two little blurs shot out of the clouds and towards her. Selene laughed as she looked at them.

            "Playing in the clouds again? You're all wet."

            Both children shook themselves, as Selene sighed and breathed out an air spell, drying them both off.

            "Come on you two!"

            The two kids grinned and flew after her towards their little dwelling.

            They had just finished a delicious, airy meal of milk and honey when a knock sounded on the door.

            Catelyn got up to answer it. Just as she opened the door, a pair of arms grabbed her.

            "Itai! Let go of me!"

            The angel warrior scowled as his companion cast a sleep spell, putting her to sleep. Their mission accomplished, both flew towards the high temple, their captive with them.

            Claire stared as her cousin was carried off. "What are you doing?" The seven-year old cried as she flapped her tiny wings, but she was unable to move.

            Selene tried to follow, but they were too fast. With a heavy heart, she wondered what she would tell Catelyn's father…

            "Perfect." Brendan said coolly as they entered.

            "My lord?" Another angel inquired. "This sacrifice… is absolutely necessary?"

            "Yes. Look at her." Brendan said. Even unconscious, she shone with a silvery light. And her blue eyes were another factor. Only those with the most innocent hearts had eyes the color of the sky, and hair with the sun's rays in it. "We use her purity to attract the dark forces, bind them to this," And here he held up a key ring with four keys on it, "And then we destroy the keys."

            "I am awed at your prowess." Another angel remarked.

            "We are wasting time. Let's begin."

            The unconscious angel was laid on a black stone tablet while the four elemental angels cast spell after spell, until her personality had been completely subsumed by the powerful magic. Then, with a signal from Brendan, the angel of the Wind stepped up with her thin rapier, and cast the sealing spell. This was followed by the casting spells of Earth, Fire, and Water. At last, the lead angel himself placed the four keys around the child's neck and uttered the words to summon the darkness.

            A shriek echoed through the air as the shadows flooded through her body, her white wings turning black, as her blonde hair darkened to blood red and as her staring eyes stared into nothingness, the pupils dilated to molten gold.

            Wind filled the area until, the spell complete; the sacrifice lay lifeless against the tablet.

            Brendan snapped his fingers as the chains dropped.

            "Well, now all we have left to do is to dispose of these keys." He said, breathing out a sigh of relief as he walked up to her and prepared to remove the chain.

            Golden eyes snapped open to stare at him.

            Involuntarily, Brendan took a step back in fear. "B-but! The sacrifice was supposed to die to ensure the sealing!"

            "Oh, but Catelyn is very much dead." The child replied, as a smile juxtaposed itself with her glowing golden eyes.

            "I'm Lance."

            And with that, a wave of dark energy surrounded her and exploded outwards, spreading through the clouds.

            Claire was hiding under the bed when she heard footsteps. It had turned dark outside, and she was scared.

            For a second, they stopped, and there was the sound of someone putting something down.

            Then, the footsteps took off in the opposite direction.

            Scared, Claire peeked out and saw nothing bad. But on her desk, was a little package tied with white paper.

            "Hm?" Looking at the tag, Claire saw that it was dated for her birthday. "What?" There was a little note, too.

            _Claire,_

_            Count this as an early birthday present from me. Please don't let anyone see it, it's a secret!_

_            Love,_

_            'Cat' (Catelyn)_

            Claire blinked as she looked at the pretty little key inside. It was light blue with a drop of water at the top. Shrugging, she put the chain around her neck underneath her dark blue tunic, not knowing what had happened.

End chapter!


	2. Chapter 1

I will continue this fic…

Timeline: Oh, a couple hundred years later

Notes: I _think_ Lance is dark, since she's holding all of that dark magic. But I wouldn't say she's evil.

Just in case… this fic originated after reading 'Angel Corrupted' by Liona Skycat six times in a row. I realize that there may be identical or similar elements but I make my fic take a different direction so I'm not trying to plagiarize. Thank you! *bows* I also asked for her permission to lift plot elements.

Link Masters – thank you!

Ranma – thank you! ^-^

The Pokemon Reader –as you will, me likes reviews

SS2 Megami-sama- fine by me

Charmeleon – I know, but thanks for the warning. I wouldn't want to be frozen for plagiarism.

Tmp – Ash will show up, Charlotte probably will not

Blackness44 – thank you!

Demented Yami – thanx! By the way, who writes Honorshipping? *Intrigued*

Incomplete13 – all right, I know.

Chapter 1

            Lance yawned as she watched two 'junior trainers' fight each other's Rattatas. After the sealing, almost all of the pokemon had vanished into the dream realm. _Her_ realm. Only the Rattata and Pidgey and Hoothoot and Magikarp were left, or around that. Quite pathetic, really…

            Still, the idiot angel warriors didn't know how to deal with her. That was a plus. She brushed a crimson strand of hair out of her eyes. * Time to have some fun… * Smoothing out her black cape lined with crimson satin, she landed gracefully on the concrete below and snapped her fingers.

            Instantly, black fog covered the area.

            The junior trainers cursed as they tried to figure out what was going on.

            "Pathetic…." A voice whispered hollowly from around them.

            Jake looked nervous as he reached for a poke ball. "Pidgey, go! Use Gust!"

            Nothing happened. The little bird tired its best, but unfortunately, nothing happened.

            Pidgey continued flapping its wings, to no avail.

            "It's no use…this mist is the portrayal of your soul…" Harsh laughter filled the area and Jake saw nothing before he disappeared.

            Neither did his opponent, Gus.

            Lance dusted off her hands and smiled. "Hmm… what to do now?" She focused as her black feathery wings surrounded her and she flew off. "Maybe I could go shopping… nah, too boring."

            She flew along, occasionally shifting an air current or two to help her. She could go anywhere she wished, not that it mattered. 

            It had been years since she had left home. She wondered how Claire was doing. Occasionally, she could scry to spy on her cousin, but it had been harder to get past the wards. Still, as long as Claire still had the key, she'd be able to contact her. It was only for emergencies…

            Claire wasn't in trouble though. Nobody knew she had the key.

            There was a sense of pride at her cousin's secrecy. * I'm proud of you, little cousin… *

            With a thought, she focused and her clothes shifted into a more comfortable, male version of a school uniform. * Much better. Might as well try to amuse myself… *

            And with that, she walked towards the local high school.

            Seven-year old Ash Ketchum was sitting on the sidewalk, sniffling, when a shadow fell over him.

            "What's wrong?" A voice asked.

            Staring up, Ash saw a pair of the prettiest golden eyes he had ever seen. Not that he had seen any before, but still…

            'Mommy left Daddy two weeks ago, n' now daddy's really mean…" Ash sniffled.

            Lance studied the child. He didn't look too bad, except… how did a child so young have so many shadows swirling around him like that? That was impossible, unless…

            "Did he hurt you?" Lance asked.

            Ash shivered. "Mm… I'm scared!" With that, he latched onto Lance's leg and wouldn't let go.

            The fallen angel knelt down next to the child and gently detangled him. "Don't worry, I'll help you."

            "You will?" Ash said, eyes lighting up slightly. "'Cause Daddy said I had to have dinner done when he got home tonight, but I can't cook, n' I can't order pizza again…"

            "Don't worry." Lance said, as Ash opened the door to the house and they went in together. "I'll teach you."

            Afterwards, they had finished cooking and Ash was dozing off in Lance's lap when the door swung open and a drunk Professor Oak stumbled in.

            *Hic* "You! Ash! Is the food done yet?"

            Ash woke up and looked scared. "Y-yes…"

            "Then serve it, ya little wimp!"

            Ash wondered why his new friend hadn't been mentioned but he quickly ran and got the food, hamburger casserole from a box in case anyone was wondering.

            Oak tasted some and then spat it out. "Yuck! You ungrateful brat! I'll teach you!" He advanced on the trembling child, and struck him a blow across the face, sending Ash sprawling on the ground.

            Lance snapped. * So this is why… how dare he ruin such innocence! *

            With a sudden gust of wind, she manifested in front of Ash. From her back sprouted her dark wings, sucking up all the light in the room.

            Oak stepped back at the sudden movement. "W-what-!"

            Lance's eyes narrowed as a blade of black lightning grew in her hands, and she plunged it through his heart. "You lose."

            Ash watched in shock as his father fell over. He was dimly aware of Lance picking him up.

            "Shh… little one, don't worry. He won't hurt you anymore."

            Ash nodded as he snuggled tightly into the angel's embrace. "Stay with me?" He pleaded.

            Lance hesitated. * If I do, this child's life will be in danger, but I can't just leave him… *

            Making a decision, she removed the key of Hidden Shadows from her neck and placed it around his instead, keeping the keys of Revealing Light and Dark Illusions.

            "Ash… if you come with me, you could lose your life. Are you willing to risk that happening? We will constantly be on the run…"

            Ash didn't reply and clung onto her tighter.

            "Well, I can't just leave you here." Lance mused. "Very well. Let's go Ash, but first, I want to teach you something…"

            "Fly…"

            There was a brief flash of light, and then a pair of wings appeared on Ash's back, pale yellow in color.

            "It's the quickest way to travel unseen. Let's go Ash," Lance said, taking his hand. And hand in hand they flew up into the clouds, the key around Ash's neck glowing slightly all the while.

End Chapter!

^-^

Now, a little clarification on the keys… in CCA/Dragons' series, Charlotte's sun key is the key of Revealing Light, Lance's key (with moon/dark magic) is the key of Dark Illusions, while Ash's star key is the key of hidden shadows.

Ash is not a fallen angel… yet.

Well, review please. *Phantomness exits stage left*


	3. Chapter 2

Um… here's the next chapter

Timeline: 7 years later

Warnings: OOCness on Ash's part possible since he's been living with a dark angel, come on…

Phantomness: Well, welcome to another chapter

Lance: Why am I your muse?

Phantomness: Because I kidnapped you from HQ and I can't remember anyone else claiming you! *Grins* besides, you are my favorite character after Ash, or maybe you are my first favorite since Ash is kind of… dense in the Anime.

Emerald: Ahh…

Demented Yami – thank you! I thought the fic was cute.

Link Masters – 'kay! ^-^

Charmeleon – well, many thanks for the criticism.

Tmp – no, actually, she didn't. Lance is the guardian of the dream realm where all the pokemon were sealed into when the angels tried to kill her.

SS2 Megami-sama – thankies! ^-^

Chapter 2: Darkness unleashed

            Lance stared at the news broadcast with horrified eyes. "No…"

            "What is it?" Ash asked, climbing into his guardian's lap even though he was technically too old for it. It was a cute gesture though.

            "Ivy… you bastard…" She turned to Ash. "Somehow, she brought back three of the starters from the dream realm!"

            "What?!" Ash asked, startled. He knew all about the dream realm, he lived in it most of the time. He loved all the creatures that lived there, sealed apart from the real world. But for Professor Ivy to steal them from their home…

            "Let's see… Charmander. Squirtle. Bulbasaur. She only has three, but she's starting to clone them…" Lance shivered. "And if this continues, they'll sacrifice another one. And I don't want that to happen."

            "What can we do, Lance-chan?" Ash asked.

            "I'm too old to be a beginning trainer, so I can't get in legally. But Ash…"

            Ash nodded as he got what she was trying to say. "I'll do it."

            "You'll be in danger, you know."

            Ash grinned as he touched his key of hidden shadows. "But I'm not completely defenseless. And I don't want the poor innocent pokemon to die like that…"

            "All right." Lance said, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Go ahead and go. If you can, send all three of them back to the dream realm where they belong. If not, pick the pokemon you like and we'll make you the Pokemon Master so you have power before we send them home."

            Ash nodded and focused, changing his normal flowing robes into jeans and a red jacket. His dark yellow wings vanished into nothing and a single poke ball appeared on his belt. "I'm ready."

            "Good luck, little one." Lance said, giving him a hug.

            "I'll be careful." Ash promised. With that, he climbed down from the roof and started walking to Pallet Town.

            When he got there, the area was swarming with junior trainers. Ivy was flabbergasted and not sure what to do.

            'Aunt Ivy, can't you just have a tournament?" Gary asked. Ivy nodded, pulled out a megaphone, and raised her voice. "Listen up, all of you! I only have three, starter pokemon, so there will be a tournament to get them! Only the winners may receive one!"

            Many weak trainers groaned and left, but many more were still left. Ivy counted them all and then paired them off into matches.

            Gary noticed that one of the trainers looked slightly familiar. Peering at the kid, he recognized the familiar brown eyes.

            "A-Ash?" His friend had disappeared several years ago, after his father had been found dead. It was assumed that he had been kidnapped. Ash looked much younger than his age.

            Ash looked up. "Oh. Hi, Gary."

            "Where have you been?! I thought you were kidnapped!"

            "I was." Ash replied.

            "Woah! Did you escape, or something?"

            "You could say that." * Well, it's part of the truth… * Ash was about to say more, but just then, Ivy paired him up with a trainer.

            Gary waved goodbye as he clenched his own fistful of poke balls.

            "Rattata, go!" The foolish boy shouted.

            Ash casually closed his eyes and released Elementeon. She looked like an Eevee, but she had enough power to destroy a few cities if she so pleased.

            "Rattata, Bite!"

            _Reflect…_ Ash whispered. "And then use… earthquake."

            Eterneon nodded and quickly knocked out Rattata. The same scenario played with three more Rattatas until a girl with a Pidgeotto came up.

            "I'm Clara, and I'll beat you!" She yelled.

            "Elementeon… Thunderbolt." Ash said in reply, frying Pidgeotto. "Next."

            Clara stamped her feet. "You're cheating!"

            "Who says? I just have better pokemon."

            Clara fumed and spat and sent out a Raticate.

            "Guillotine." Ash said. Well, that ended well.

            Three hours later, he was feeding Elementeon a potion and glad that the annoying thing was finally over. He caressed her briefly with some shadow energy, which she absorbed, and looked over at the others.

            Gary was almost done.

            Ash kissed Elementeon's head and waited some more. Gary's Pidgeot was very well trained, as was his Noctowl. Amazing what he had done with the limited resources.

            And yet, Ash still felt no remorse for all the creatures that lived happily in the realm of dreams. They were free and happy, and why would he deny them that?

            Besides, if it hadn't been for them, Lance-chan wouldn't be here.

            Lonnie burst into tears as Gary's Pidgeot finished off her Raticate. It wasn't fair!  
            Ivy looked bored. * How many are left… *

            Ash turned to Gary and gave him a thumbs-up. Gary grinned back in return.

            Finally, the last three remaining were declared.

            "Ash, Gary, and May."

            May squealed and chose Charmander.

            Gary was hesitant. "Ash… do you want to go first?"

            "I'll be fine." Ash reassured his friend, so Gary took Squirtle and left Ash with Bulbasaur.

            "Ash, what happened to you, after…"

            "I'll tell you later." Ash said, after noticing May trying to eavesdrop. "It's a long story."

            After a few minutes, they were walking down the Route towards Viridian.

            "So, Ash… what happened after you were kidnapped?"

            "Well, for one. I wasn't." Ash replied. "Oak deserved what he got."

            "What?" Gary asked, regarding his friend.

            "After my mom died, that… he…" Ash paused and rolled up his sleeves, showing thin white scars on his arms. 

            "He…"

            Gary stopped short. "Ash…"

            Ash laughed harshly. "She saved me. She took me away." He hugged himself tightly. "She helped me…"

            Gary nodded and decided not to press the issue further. * Ash, I hope you're okay… *

End Chapter!

No, I decided not to make Gary evil in this fic. I felt like I owed him after End of Misty.

So… I've decided to try and be nicer to Gary in my fics. At least, some of them…


	4. Chapter 3

Hi all! *Waves* I'm back from Mexico. Did you miss me?

Link Masters – Lance has a way of disappearing and appearing, no?

Incomplete13 – ah, I feel I owe Gary an apology. ^-^ So he'll get a fairly good role in this fic.

Charmeleon – I see.

Chapter 3: problems

            About a week had passed, and Ash was feeling very uneasy. For one, more dimensional tears were opening up and more pokemon were appearing in the realm, much to the Professor's delight.

            "Lance-chan…" Ash whispered. "What to do?"

            Gary looked over from where he was trying to fish up a Magikarp. "Ash? You're spacing out again."

            "Gomen." Ash replied. He sighed. * I hope she's okay… *

            Meanwhile, Lance sat with a stack of cards in her hands. She breathed slowly. "All right. I've sealed all of them. Whatever they pull out of the dream realm now will only be copy of the pokemon."

            She focused as the cards duplicated themselves and flew off to find Ash, leaving her with a set of dark blue cards sitting in her hands. A white set trimmed with gold flew off to find him.

            "I hope he's all right…"

            Ash blinked as what looked like a comet made out of… cards? Flew out of the air and circled him for a brief minute before settling in his hands.

            Flipping one over, he realized that they were cards. Each had a picture of a pokemon on top. There were hundreds of them, depicting all the pokemon that existed in the realm.

            A small smile quirked at the corners of Ash's mouth. * So that's how she dealt with it. Well, it certainly works. Keeping the realm's powers while allowing the humans to deal with what they've called up. *

            "Yes! I got one!" Gary yelled, fishing up the carp.

            "Gary… Magikarp are practically worthless. They only know Splash." Ash replied. "Why are you bothering to catch one?"

            Gary shrugged. "Maybe it'll evolve. 'Sides, Brock's using a Geodude and an Onix at his gym, and I need a water pokemon."

            "True, but…" Ash sighed. * Not my problem. Wait, why isn't he using Squirtle? *

            "Ash, you have anything besides that Elementeon or whatever you call it?"  
            Ash grinned to himself. * If only Gary knew… *

            "Well, Elementeon does know water moves."

            Gary sighed as he glanced at his Magikarp. "So lil' fishie… do you evolve?"

            Magikarp flopped around.

            Ash laughed. "Gary, I don't think it can talk."

            Gary frowned. "Well, it was worth a try…'

            Ash laughed a little bit more. "Maybe, but it'd probably take an awful lot of training, Gary."

            "No problem." Gary replied, tacking EXP share onto Magikarp. "Pidgeot n' Noctowl could use a little bit of training too."

            "Ah…"

            T-minus five days of training and Gary was getting annoyed… and bored to the point of tears. "When does Magikarp evolve?"

            "Level twenty I think…"

            "Great…" Gary cried. "It's only level 18!"

            "Poor Gary…"

            Gary pouted. "Maybe I'll just try fighting Brock with Pidgeot."

            "You could," Ash pointed out. "But… why don't you use a grass-type? You did catch an oddish."

            "True…but it only knows… Absorb."

            Ash sweatdropped. "Well, I don't know…" He groomed Elementeon and yawned.

            Gary continued to train the fish for another day until (good for Gary!) It evolved into Gyarados.

            "YES!" Gary cheered.

            Ash grinned. "So, Brock is no problem now?"

            "You bet! I'm so happy!" Gary cheered. "Let's go to the gym right now!"

            Ash raised his eyebrows as he followed behind at a slower pace.

            "Brock, I challenge you!"  
            Brock shrugged. "Bring it on." 

            "Gyarados, go!"

            "Woah." Brock said, his eyes popping out. "Geodude, Tackle!"

            Gyarados spat out Hydro Pump, knocking Geodude into the wall. Onix fared no better, unfortunately.

            Brock handed Gary one of his new badges and the two trainers left the gym.

            "Say, Ash, I bet you're wondering why I didn't use Squirtle?"

            Ash nodded. "You have a perfectly good water-type."

            "Yeah, but I wanted to see if there was something useful about Magikarp. And apparently, there is!"

            "Intriguing, certainly." Ash replied. "Hold on, I'll be back in a second."

            "I'll be at the Center." Gary called.

            Ash returned to the gym and challenged Brock, who only laughed.

            "My Elementeon can destroy any of your pokemon in milliseconds." Ash replied, getting angry.

            "Hah! What a joke! Look, get out of my gym. I have no time for little kids like you."

            "You think so?" Ash asked. "Key of Hidden Shadows, open the gates to the dream realm!"

            With a faint flash, they found themselves in an area filled with swirling greens and pinks.

            "Where are we?!" Brock demanded.

            Ash smiled. "Welcome to the dream realm, where all pokemon were born."

            "Y-you!" Brock spluttered. "What are you?!"

            Ash considered. "Um… apprentice to a fallen angel. So! Let's begin." His eyes glowed golden as a card appeared in front of him.

            Brock huffed angrily. * Arrogant kid… * "Onix, I choose you!"

            "Vaporeon…" Ash whispered softly. "Now."

            Instantly, Onix collapsed.

            "WHAT?!" Brock demanded.

            Ash smirked. "I'm no beginning trainer, you know. I _am_ one of this realm's guardians."

            Brock began to sweat. * Uh-oh… maybe I shouldn't have insulted him. *

            "Too late." Ash replied. "I'm leaving." And with that, he vanished, leaving Brock locked in the dream realm.

            Brock gulped as several large pokemon he had never seen before advanced…

End Chapter!  
I think I still dislike Brock…

I am putting up another extra chapter after this, so please review. *bows*


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Suspicions

            The two trainers were walking to Cerulean, Ash tossing his badge up and down while catching it, and smiling. Gary was chasing after a bellsprout that could, amazingly, run quite fast.

            Gary wanted to catch every single pokemon that showed its face in front of him. Ash hadn't caught any new pokemon yet.

            "Ash…"

            "Hmm?" Ash asked, looking up from his evil physics textbook. Lance-chan still forced him to study; she said it would help him. He was currently struggling with the very difficult problems detailing Newton's gravitational constant. What a pain…

            Lance-chan… what does this have to do with battling?   
            Quite a bit. Lance replied. You'll learn later, but our attacks like Frameshift and Time Stop and Reflection use physics as their base… 

            Ash sighed.

            "Hey, Ash! Are you paying attention to me?" Gary asked.

            'What? Oh, sorry Gary." He looked at where Gary was holding a struggling Bellsprout.

            "Do you have any spare poke balls? I'm all out."

            Ash laughed and handed Gary a few. "I've still got a couple dozen in my backpack."

            "Since you haven't used any, yeah. But you need a full six to become Champion.'

            This got Ash's attention. "You do?"  
            "Mm-hmm, and they suggest around twenty. Better get catching, Ash!" Gary teased.

            "You're right!" Ash replied. He grinned to himself. * If only he knew… *

            "Let's go!" Gary said, dashing off into a bush.

            Ash laughed as he followed. It would be interesting enough.

            Elsewhere…

            Drake ground his teeth. The Council had sent him after the Dark One _again._ He had nearly lost his neck last time! Well, he wasn't going to lose to some abomination!

            Gritting his teeth and taking the twin swords that proclaimed him a warrior of the water element, he flew off towards Kanto, the last place she had been spotted.

            It was time for a rematch…

            Lance sat on top of a building, her black wings fanned out behind her, polishing the two keys she had left. A faint buzzing presence alerted her to the fact that an angel was near. She sighed. Those bakas…

            As if any of them were strong enough.

            "What do you want?" She asked sarcastically.

            The sound of gnashing teeth was heard. "To kill you and regain my honor!"

            "Idiot… you lost last time." Lance taunted as she recognized the voice. "What makes you think you can win?"  
            The teeth grinding became louder. Lance felt a flash of warning and she became incorporeal as a sword passed through the area she would have been in.

            "Too slow…" She whispered, as she charged up a Hyper Beam and flung it at Drake. "You still want to play?"  
            Drake crashed into an apartment building and through a window. Lance floated outside, ice crystals dancing in her hands, waiting for him to return.

            A second later, several daggers came flying out at her. She dodged twelve of them and froze the rest, so they dropped to the ground uselessly, and casually lit the building on fire.

            Drake, being an angel, did have a first priority to save people, so was forced to put out the fire, thereby wasting much valuable time and energy. When he finally emerged from the building, he fell straight into a net of ice energy.

            Lance scoffed. "Look, I don't have time for this. Just leave me alone, okay? And don't come back until you've found an explanation. Try asking Claire."

            "… What?" Drake asked.

            "You heard me. I'm letting you go so you can find her. _If_ you can find her, she'll tell you the whole story, although I doubt she does."

            "…" Drake was speechless as she vanished in front of him. * Who in the world… and why? *

            "I mean, it's not like I had a choice in the matter." Lance mused as her cards danced around her. "Wonder how Ash is doing? But Claire won't know anyways, so… it'll just waste a lot of Drake's time and hopefully he'll leave me alone. I mean, what's with him attacking me?"

            The Serebii card glowed faintly, allowing Lance a glimpse. She stifled a laugh as she saw Ash pretending to drown in a three-foot deep stream.

            "Fun…"

            Gary hauled Ash out of the water. "What went wrong? Oh! Hey Ash, there's a pokemon on your leg!"

            Ash blinked. "… That's why I couldn't move."

            "What is it?" Gary asked excitedly.

            "Hmm…" Ash pulled out the Ivydex (from Professor Ivy!)

            "Vaporeon." It beeped. "No other info recorded as of now." The Vaporeon climbed onto Ash's lap and purred.

            "Hey, it likes you!"

            "Seems that way." Ash replied, grinning.

            "Cool…" Gary paused. "Let's get going, Ash."

            "I know." The kid replied, recalling Vaporeon to a poke ball. "I'm right behind you! Where to next?"

            "Cerulean, of course! Badge, here I come!"

            "Have I mentioned that the hyper nature doesn't fit you, Gary?"

            "Whatever." The other boy scoffed. "I hate trying to be strict and perfect."

            "And with an inflated ego?"

            "That's going a bit too far, Ash!"

            Ash laughed. "Maybe…"

            Gary huffed and walked forwards while Ash followed him.

            Lance-chan? 

            Yes? 

            So we're going for the championship plan. 

            Best shot now. Lance replied. Although I think some will be disappointed. They are quite fond of the pokemon. 

            I feel bad for Gary… Ash whispered back.

            We can make a few exceptions… after all, it's in our power. 

            Ash nodded and closed his eyes.

            "Hey, Ash! Don't tell me you're falling asleep already! You ok?" Gary asked.

            "Huh? Oh." Ash got up.

            Gary frowned. "You've been spacing out a lot. You sure you're ok?"

            Ash nodded as Gary walked ahead again.

End chapter!

I hate physics…

In the Pokemon Adventure manga, Lance and Claire and brother and sister… I always thought they were cousins


	6. Chapter 5

Please don't let my inspiration run out… I don't want another dead fic. I'm writing short chapters I guess

The Elemental Sorceress – thanks!

SS2 Megami-sama – I hate AP tests… ;.;

Link Masters – no, I don't know why I dislike Brock…

Chapter 5: M&M

            Cerulean city was nice.

            It was shady, had a park, the streets were clean, and no scruffy males were loitering around demanding battles.

            Ash and Gary sat at the local 'Fish n' Chips', eating fries and drinking sodas while discussing the plan to beat misty.

            "See," Gary said. "I'd use Oddish, but I still think it's too weak. Bellsprout would be a better bet."

            "Hmm…" Ash brushed Vaporeon's silky fur as he listened. "So why don't you just use Bellsprout?"

            'Well, I talked to this girl who just lost. Name was Dalia. Anyways, she told me about Misty's Starmie. It knows some special 'Bubblebeam' move that can kill almost any pokemon. Even an electric type like the Voltorb she had."

            "Ouch." Ash said. "I could use Elementeon, it knows a thunder move or two."

            "Better train it more, Ash." Gary advised. "Or at least raise its defense so it can get hit."

            "But Gary! Your Pidgeot and Noctowl are pretty powerful! Why not use them or Gyarados?"

            "… didn't think of that. I was only considering type advantage." Gary muttered.

            "See?"

            "You have a point, Ash. Oh well. I'll take a full six, after all, as long as I have one left standing she can't claim victory."

            "Yep!" Ash replied as he stole Gary's onion rings.

            "Hey!"

            "Count it as payment for my advice." Ash said as he munched on a ring.

            Gary sighed. "Well, at least I've got a couple hundred bucks from battling. But Ash, you seem so sleepy all the time. You sure you're not sick?"

            "Um… I'm anemic." Ash replied as an explanation.

            "Oh!" Gary winced. "And I've been dragging you everywhere! I didn't know you had health problems."

            "It's not that bad," Ash replied. "I just find it hard to stay awake, and sometimes I need blood transfusions."

            "Oh…" Gary said. "So, how come you're a trainer? It's pretty demanding."

            "Nothing left." Ash replied, looking down at his fingers.

            Gary wisely asked nothing else.

            Ten minutes later, food consumed and pokemon groomed, the two walked towards Cerulean gym.

            Gary with a spring in his step however walked slower so Ash could keep up.

            Ash appreciated this gesture as he followed, listening to Lance talking all the while. It was soothing.

            She had a nice voice, after all.

            "Go, Goldeen!"

            Ash yawned as Elementeon used Thundershock. It was a gesture of boredom, but Gary thought his friend was getting tired.

            "Don't worry, Ash! Only a few more trainers left!" Gary said as he whipped the tar out of Cindy's Horsea.

            "I hope so!" Ash replied, walking on to the next trainer.

            Elementeon purred as she fried yet another water-type. Stupid Magikarp gave almost no EXP.

            'Hah! Pidgeot rules!" Gary crowed, as Tia frowned angrily. "All right! Go face misty!" She stormed.

            Gary smirked. "You lose."

            Misty was waiting in the pool. "So! Another challenger?"

            "Yes." Gary said.

            Misty laughed. "I haven't been beaten yet. Why are you any different?"

            "So I'll be the first." Gary said. "Let's battle!"

            "As you wish. Staryu, go!"

            Gary commanded Noctowl out, as it was slightly weaker than pidgeot. "Okay, Noctowl, Foresight!"

            Misty blinked. "Nothing happened. What a rotten trainer. Staryu, Tackle!"

            "Now! Hypnosis!"

            Staryu was almost at Noctowl when it fell asleep. Snores drifted from the pokemon.

            "Now. Finish it." Gary said. "Dream Eater!"

            Poor Staryu was sent to the Graveyard, er, wrong show. It fainted.

            Gary smiled.

            Misty also smiled, but it wasn't nice. "You asked for it! Starmie, go!"

            "…"

            Noctowl dived into the air as Starmie came hurtling at it, before hitting the wall.

            "Excellent work!" Gary said, proud of how well his pokemon was doing. "Hypnosis again!"

            "Eep! Underwater, Starmie!" Misty said, flustered.

            Starmie dived underwater and stayed there.

            Noctowl frowned, circling the pool. _Come out, scaredycat…_

            Insulted, Starmie jumped out and fell straight into the path of a Confusion attack.

            "Now! Drill peck!" Gary said.

            Poor, poor, Misty… She cried her eyes out after the match, complaining about how it wasn't fair.

            She wasn't in a better frame of mind when Ash's Elementeon cleaned her clock again in no time flat.

            "Heh! First one to beat Misty!" Gary said as they healed their pokemon. "How's that for setting a world record?"

            "Quite good!" Ash replied, drinking a milkshake.

            "You did pretty well, too."

            Ash nodded as he fed Elementeon a handful of strawberries. "Life is grand, isn't it?" Elementeon was quick to confer.

            _Life is great!_

Vaporeon nodded in assent. _Yes, it's so relaxing. I find it amusing that you're bored but Gary thinks you're tired._

_            Well, it saves suspicion._ Elementeon said.

_            Yes, Master Ash, whom else will you call to this world?_ Vaporeon asked, meaning cards.

            Ash considered. * I'm not sure yet, good question though… *

            He pondered as he shuffled his cards. He could call all of them, but that would raise suspicion… better one at a time.

End chapter!

Well, I'm saddened by the lack of interest in this fic but I shall continue, just slowly.


	7. Chapter 6

Hi! *Waves*

I really hate school

Link Masters – thanks!

SS2 Megami-sama – hi! Well, since you don't like AAMRN, I'm updating this on the same day as that one. *laughs*

Chapter 6: Lightning strikes

            Diglett's tunnel, Gary decided, was probably what deterred most people from going to Vermillion city.

            It was long, grimy, infested with digletts, and very annoying.

            He wasn't complaining though. His Bellsprout and Oddish had both evolved by fighting against the nearly endless train of the little moles.

            Ash was training his new Wingull. It was another water type. It wouldn't be any good against Surge though. Gary wondered if Ash's Elementeon knew ground moves.

            That little bundle of brown fur was deadly!

            As if sensing his thoughts, Elementeon peered over Ash's shoulder where she was perched and flipped an ear.

            Gary sighed. * I don't understand pokemon at all… *

            "I hope we get out of this tunnel soon. We had to camp here for two days already." Ash spoke up quietly.

            Gary agreed. "Ugh…"

            "Wingull, do you know how far we are to Vermillion?" Ash asked.

            _Only a few more miles..._ The bird spoke. _I can feel the ocean._

            "Well, we should get there soon."

            Gary cheered and jumped up, bonking his head on the tunnel ceiling. "Ow…"

            Ash handed him an instant cold pack.

            "Thank you." Gary mumbled, sticking it on his now-blazing red forehead. He nearly tripped over a diglett but Gloom sent it flying before he could.

            "Wow, thank you, Gloom."

            _My pleasure. I feel so strong!_

            _Me too!_ Weepinbell burbled.

            Wingull perched on Ash's head and used Water Gun on a few more digletts in the way. _I hope we get into the air as fast as possible._

_            Agreed! _Vaporeon heartily mentioned.

            Ash continued walking. "There must be a light at the end of this tunnel…"

            Walking, walking, walking.

            Their boots kicked up little puffs of dirt as they trudged on.

            Breathing was difficult in this underground area.

            Ash subtly shifted the air around them, purifying some of it to allow better oxygen, but he was tired.

            The problem with the cards was that they fed off his energy.

            And he was going to run out soon unless he thought of a solution. He could always latch onto the dream realm, but that was only temporary.

            He'd have to become an angel… like her.

            It wasn't as if he minded. He loved her. He knew he did, even though he was little.

            She was evil and she would kill without a thought, but he loved her just the same.

            She was his light in the world of darkness, even though she clung to him claiming that it was his role.

            Besides, it wasn't her fault. She had no choice in the shifting. The power had been forced on her. And he loved her.

            "Ash? Earth to Ash?" Gary said. "I see something!"

            Ash came back to reality. "Really? I hope it's the exit!"

            "Me too!"

            They both ran towards the light. Sure enough, the waves and beach of Vermillion beckoned invitingly.

            Gary cheered.

            Ash took a deep breath of fresh sea air. "That tunnel was sure annoying!"

            The next day, they were stretched out on the beach.

            Gary was flirting with a few girls, while Ash just slept. Gary couldn't understand his friend. Fourteen and no teenage hormones? Impossible!

            Ash must just be hiding it well, or…

            Gary suddenly face-vaulted as he realized Ash might be interested in guys. "… Hope he doesn't see me that way."

            A girl in a white bikini sat down next to him. "Want to play beach volleyball with me and my friends?"

            "Yeah!" Gary cheered. She winked and giggled as Gary ran after her and her group of friends.

            "I'm Opal," She introduced. "I'm a cheerleader."

            "Cool."

            "You know," Opal said, leaning in to his ear to whisper. "I'd love to find a strong trainer to cheer for…"

            Gary blushed, before she ran off to the court. He followed obediently.

            He was sunk, hook, line, and sinker.

            Playing beach volleyball with her friends Garnet, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond turned out to be pretty fun.

            It was good exercise too, Gary thought as he spiked a ball over the net to squeals on the other side.

            Too bad Ash was busy sleeping.

            Ash's eyes opened slightly as they took on gold again.

            Are you sure? Lance whispered in his mind.

            Ash nodded as she materialized next to him, dressed in white robes trimmed with black.

            It's dangerous, you know. 

            Of course I know. Ash whispered back. But if I had to spend eternity with anyone, it would be you. 

            So mote it be. Lance whispered, before she kissed him.

            He could feel the shadows twining around both of them now, as they eagerly fed on his light energy and leached it out of him. He could feel the wings growing, too. Real ones this time, lovely black silky feathers like she had. And he was getting taller, and the hair…

            His eyes solidified with a golden color, as he felt her fangs slide into his throat, cutting him off from his mortal life.

            The heat was bleeding out of him, and he shivered slightly at the feeling. He didn't' know how long it was before she pulled away.

            And then the heat flooded through him again, as the dream realm accepted its second keeper and filled him with its power.

            When it finally ended, she was still holding him in her arms, wings protectively around both of them, as the key glittered on his chest. His blue robes pooled around them both, like an angry sea.

            "I love you." He whispered.

            I know, He heard her whisper back as her wings rustled slightly and she placed a kiss tenderly on his cheek.

^-^

End chapter! *Cheers*

Oh well, people don't review anyway. I might as well post the rest soon.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Resent?

            The question now was how he was going to hide the changes from Gary. 

            Gary was enjoying dinner at the Surf n' Turf with the girls when he realized he hadn't seen Ash for the past few hours.

            "He'd better not be sleeping out on the beach again…" Gary muttered.

            "Ooh, he was hot!" Garnet squealed, sending her orange pigtails bouncing up and down. "Friend of yours?"

            "Best friend." Gary replied.

            Garnet squealed again. "That is _so_ cool! Could we travel with you? We can all cheer, you know?"

            Opal smiled at Gary from across the table as he colored. "Er, I'll ask Ash about that…"

            When he got back to the hotel, Ash still hadn't returned. But his backpack was gone.

            "Did that guy go out training on his own?" Gary wondered.

            Opal had followed him. "Nice room."

            "It's a hotel, Opal." Gary said, rolling his eyes.

            "Well, you're friend isn't here. What say you we get to… know each other better?" She suggested as she slunk up to him.

            Gary began to sweat nervously. "Um, I'm not sure this is a good idea…"

            "Aw…" Opal pouted. "I thought you liked me."

            "I do! It's just, we… we're not well acquainted enough." Gary babbled.

            "Then let's get acquainted." Opal purred, before she kissed him, effectively short-circuiting Gary's mind as they fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

            Ash stalked in sometime around 3 A.M. in the morning.

            Gary and his girl were both passed out on the couch.

            Ash shrugged. "Bakas…" He collected his supplies, and then effectively walked out of Gary's life. He wouldn't see his friend again for a long time…

            Seven years later… (Age 21 for Gary)

            Gary yawned. He hated to admit it, but he was bored. Sure, he was pokemon master, with almost a hundred well-trained pokemon to his name, but it was lonely up at the top. He had Opal and all her friends as his devoted friends and occasional lovers, but still…

            The board had suggested the creation of a few trainers to block the way to the champion so he wouldn't have to work so hard, and it seemed reasonable.

            "How about the Elite Four?" A man asked.

            Gary turned to look at the bureaucrat. "That is a good idea."

            "And we can pick four elements, one for each. No breaks in between, you would have to beat all four. That way, the trainers would need a varied team to battle you."

            Gary smiled. "Good plan." And so, the tournaments began.

            It was there that the girl with the wild crimson hair caught his eye.

            She was around his age, he guessed, dressed in black with a red jacket to offset the depressing décor, and a dark blue cloak that fell to her feet. She used dragon types.

            Powerful, yes. But also tempting… Gary loved watching her fight on the video screens. She seemed so alive.

            At the moment, her Dragonair was beating the crap out of some poor kid's Alakazam.

            Dangerous. Well, if it were up to him she'd be one of his new Elite Four for sure. Gary licked his lips and smirked to himself.

            Ash's eyes glowed pale golden for a second as he felt someone behind him. "Oh, it's another warrior angel trying to kill me?"

            "Shut up!" Claire hissed. "I hate my job, let's just get this over with!"

            "If you think I'm just going to let you kill me, the answer is no."

            Claire's eyes flashed with anger as a blade of water energy appeared in her hands. Ash's key glowed as his sword of shadow energy appeared.

            The battle began.

            Ash was finding it hard to hold his own. He hadn't had much experience with fighting angels; mostly Lance took care of them. And by angel standards he was still a baby! But he couldn't lose!  
            He opened the gates to the dream realm. * Have to do this the had way then… *

            Claire didn't even comment on their choice of surroundings before she attacked again. Ash feinted, and then caught her legs, tripping her with a chain of black lightning.

            Claire dropped to the ground. She flapped her wings furiously to get airborne again.

            "Perfect." Ash whispered. "Static Illusion!"

            Instantly, Claire dropped, paralyzed, but made no sound.

            "Yatta! I'm so glad Lance-chan taught me that move!" Ash cheered. "Now, how do I find her?" He focused and cast out his magic, searching for the lifeforce of his love.

            He found her just finishing up a match.

            Lance-chan! I caught an angel! 

            You did? Lance sounded amused. All by yourself. 

            Yep! She's still in static illusion right now. What should I do? 

            I'll be there in a few minutes, Ash 

            Hai! 

            Ash groomed Vaporeon as he waited for Lance-chan to return.

            Soon, she appeared with no fanfare.

            "Her?!"

            "Yes?" Ash sounded surprised. * Lance-chan shouldn't care who it is, right? *

            "Claire…" Lance looked stricken. "I can't believe they sent her out to kill me."

            "But who _is_ she?" Ash asked. "Is she special?"

            Lance nodded grimly. "She has my fourth key. She's my cousin."

            Ash's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! Those heartless council members! They sent her out to kill her own cousin?!"

            "Yes."

            Black lightning surrounded Ash as he digested the unfairness of it all. "But… how…"

            "Well, I left her the key of Stormy Weather." Lance explained. "It's far weaker than all the others, but…the dream realm won't hurt her. Of course, she would have never tried to access this realm."

            "Because she's an angel?"

            Lance nodded. "It's forbidden. If they tried, the shadows would tear them apart. Not that they _haven't_, I've seen the guards."

            Ash nodded. "So now what?"

            "I don't know, maybe we can explain but if not we'll have to leave her here."

            They watched.

End Chapter!


	9. Chapter 8

Well, here it is!

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon, ok?  
  


Chapter 8

            Claire groaned as she woke up. It didn't feel normal.

            Oh, but she had been fighting. And then something had happened, with the kid. No he was not a kid, really, a fallen angel, like Lance.

            He was watching her now, a serious look in his golden eyes with his black wings folded neatly behind him. Around his neck glittered a key with a star on top.

            Almost in reflex, Claire felt around her neck for the pendant necklace Catelyn had left her, reassuring herself that it was still there.

            It made her feel safe, after she learned that the dark angel had killed Catelyn.

            No questions asked.

            "What do you want?" She spat.

            He fidgeted. Maybe there was some human left in him; maybe he hadn't been changed all the way?

            Claire frowned. "Well?"

            "Um… never mind. Lance-chan!"

            Claire froze.

            A few seconds later, the dark angel materialized in front of her. Black attire and black wings, as a ribbon of cards danced around her.

            "You're awake." It was a statement.

            "Look, what do you want?" Claire said exasperated. "Why don't you just knock me out and get it over with?"

            Golden eyes slanted to look at her. "It's not that simple, Claire."

            "How do you know my name?!" She demanded.

            "Oh, but I should." She knelt down and frowned. "After all, little cousin, if I didn't, what sort of relation would I be?"

            Claire froze.

            It wasn't fear.

            It wasn't terror, either.

            But as she looked closely at the face, she could see behind the bloody hair and eyes, the haunted expression of her older cousin.

            _No…_

            "Cat?" Claire whispered.

            Lance smiled relieved. "I was afraid you wouldn't recognize me."

            "What did they do to you, Cat?" Claire said, curiosity overwhelming everything else. "Why? Is this what happened when they took you away?"

            Lance nodded, looking downwards. "They needed a pure soul for their sacrifice to bind this realm. Looks like it was just my bad luck to be that one."

            Claire sucked in a breath. "And the hair?"

            "I had no control over that. It was like this when I woke up."

            Her fangs glinted slightly, and Claire winced. It was another unpleasant reminder that her cousin wasn't technically an angel anymore.

            Ash sat down next to Lance and stretched out his wings.

            "But what about him? The rumors say that you bound him to the darkness and he became fallen like you. Is that true?"

            Lance laughed. "Of course not. He asked me to change him so he could stay with me. How could I deny his request?"

            It was so strange for Claire. Love was a foreign emotion to her. "I think I need some time to think about this…"

            Lance waved a hand dismissively. "Think as much as you like, Claire. Time runs on my will in this place."

            Claire nodded and became absorbed in her musings.

            "That went well." Ash said.

            "You think so?"

            "Well, I don't think she'll be trying to kill you in the dark."

            "That's reassuring." Lance said, yawning. "But could you keep an eye on her? I'm going hunting."

            Ash nodded as Lance stepped through a portal back into the human world.

            She licked the blood from her lips as the man she had been holding dropped to the ground with a thump.

            He wasn't dead. She hated killing that way. Better with a swift stroke or a quick flash of ice.

            And it wasn't as if she'd drained him either. But the blood helped replenish her magic, as did the dream realm energy.

            She'd have to teach Ash how to start catching his own prey soon; she couldn't always feed him herself.

            Not that she minded much. It was soothing and she loved helping him.

            Claire sat with her hands tucking her knees to her torso as she rocked back and forth, trying to digest the information.

            It wasn't helping much.

            So her cousin wasn't dead. Instead, her cousin had been taken away and that day they had turned her into this.

            Lance scared her. At times, she could see Catelyn, but Lance was cold like ice, except when she was wrapped up in her 'light'. The child…

            What was so special? She couldn't fathom it. The instances of an angel changing a human were extremely rare.

            And Lance was a dark angel! But he looked content and happy. Odd.

            Ash shuffled his cards and groomed Persian as he watched Claire think. He hoped it would work out for all of their sakes.

            His wings had vanished and he was getting tired. He hadn't fed for a while. Lance probably knew this, which was why she had gone out.

            He smiled tiredly.

            Lance returned in about an hour, another match down and looking quite healthy.

            Ash greeted her. Claire was still thinking.

            "Hungry?" Lance asked.

            Ash blushed slightly. His fangs weren't sharp enough to kill, and he didn't really have any practical experience. Lance said she would teach him when the time was right though. She had learned through trial and error herself.

            The blood helped a lot.

            He smiled as she kissed him, before baring her throat.

            And as his fangs pierced her soft, soft skin, he could have sworn Claire had fainted but he wasn't sure through the haze of warm emotions.

End Chapter!

Started 12/25/03, Completed 12/31/03


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9!  
  


Chapter 9

            He fed for goodness knows how long, until he felt sated and happy again.

            Lance's head rested on his shoulder, and her even breathing showed that she was peacefully sleeping.

            He was getting better. If he could lull his victim to sleep in the same way, it wouldn't matter how his fangs were. Her wounds had closed up instantly as soon as he pulled away.

            Instant healing really helped.

            Claire was not watching them. She was asleep. Ash blinked.

            "Bizarre…"

            He yawned as he dug a blanket out of his backpack and pulled it over the two of them. Oh well.

            Sleep seemed very, very nice at the moment, so he curled up against her and fell asleep.

            He woke up to hear someone crying quietly. It wasn't Lance-chan, so it had to be the warrior angel. Claire, was it?

            It made sense though. Shock did do that to a person.

            Ash peeked open his eyes. Yes, Claire was crying. There were a lot of muttered threats towards the council too.

            Closing his eyes, Ash went back to sleep, hoping she would compose herself.

            Claire was, thankfully dry-eyed when she woke again. She was also quiet and would not talk.

            Lance looked slightly worried at her cousin before she left, preparing herself for the last day of the Elite trials.

            Poor, poor Claire. But she did have to grow up sometime.

            "Dragonite! Hyper Beam!"

            Altaria cried out as it collapsed. Lance smirked as Dragonite returned to her side. "Got any more pokemon, Kris?"

            The other girl glared and released a Butterfree.

            "Don't' make me laugh, please… Wing Attack!"

            Gary watched excitedly. The finals were tomorrow, and his Elite Four would be decided.

            And if she didn't make it, which was highly doubtful, he would make her a special exception.

            Lance rolled her eyes slightly as she caught that train of thought. * What a baka… well, he is insanely naïve towards the idea of me not being human though. *

            Dragonite roared, sending the Lombre scuttling back, before dealing out another Hyper Beam.

            Kris burst into loud, noisy tears.

            "Oh, can it." Lance said, irritated. She got up and left the dueling platform, before literally falling into air and disappearing.

            She reappeared in the dream realm, landing next to Ash, who was still reading Gulliver's Travels.

            "Any change?"

            "Well, Claire muttered something and stomped off to another region of the realm, said she need a bath." Ash replied. "She's been gone for a bit."

            "Ah…"

            "And I'm almost done!" Ash said proudly, holding the book aloft.

            "That's good." Lance said, smiling.

            "But my wings are stiff." Ash complained, folding them against his back. "I wanted to go fly, but since I had to watch her…"

            Lance cut him off. "Go ahead."

            "Really?!"

            "Didn't I just tell you?" Lance asked, amused.

            Ash cheered and flew off. * Yay! *

            Was it a shadow guardian with the mind of a child? Possible.

            Lance stepped through the swirling mists as she smiled faintly. Claire was sitting in a weeping willow, watching the languid pace of the river flow by.

            She was not crying anymore at least.

            "Claire?"

            Claire jumped, before relaxing slightly. "Oh, it's you."

            "Have you come to a decision yet?" Lance prompted.

            "I still cannot believe what they have done, but I cannot discount it either." Claire responded.

            "I will stay. They will probably exile me or worse if they knew I knew the truth."

            "Very well." Lance said, pleased.

            Claire said little more, but was fascinated by a dratini that was playing fetch with her, so Lance left her cousin alone.

            It would be for the better, after all.

            Besides, dragons had always been her favorite.

            A while later Ash flew down next to her, looking hyper. "Guess what! Articuno n' her mate had more babies! They're so cute!"

            Lance smiled at his enthusiasm. "How many?"

            "Um… a dozen or so."

            Lance rolled her eyes slightly. If the dream realm hadn't been limitless, it would have been overpopulated long ago. Luckily, it was like a void so one could continue adding habitats.

            "But they're so cute!" Ash said. "Look!" One little one perched on his arm and regarded Lance with a chirp.

            "Yes, they are Ash."

            The baby Articuno, pleased, cocked its head and regarded them both with wide black eyes, before flying off again.

            Several chirpings filled the air, and Lance colored slightly.

            "What did they say?" Ash asked intrigued.

            "When my mate and I were going to have their own eggs." Lance said, looking at Ash. 

            "…" Ash really didn't know what to say to that statement.

            "Interesting though." Lance said before she kissed him softly.

            Ash nodded quietly, surrendering to her embrace.

End Chapter!

Started 12/25/03, finished 1/4/04


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon, it belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction by me!

Link Masters – ok!

Akiko Koishii – thank you!

Kyua the Aqua Faerie – well, the more updates I get the faster I update something usually, at least on ff.net. On my web page its another story.

Chapter 10

            The trials over, the Elites had been decided. Lance with the dragon pokemon, Lorelei with the Ice pokemon, Karen with the Dark pokemon, and Will with the Psychic pokemon.

            Four varying elements, all of them powerful.

            Gary was infinitely pleased with himself.

            The elite four were getting settled into their rooms. Gary shifted the security camera that would show all of them.

            At the moment, Karen was mopping her floor. Lorelei was swimming in the near-freezing water with her ice pokemon, Will was meditating, and Lance was arranging bottles of healing items neatly on a shelf.

            Gary shut off the viewing lens and went to go check on someone. He was bored, okay? Stupid championships were over and now he did not want to face a load of paperwork.

            At least not yet…

            "I suppose I can start now." Lance said. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her power and drew the auras into herself.

            _By the power of the ice, the fire, and the lightning,_

_            Brought to this world by fateful mistake,_

_            Return to where you belong, of dreams…_

            All over Indigo, pokemon vanished.

            Oh, it was mostly wild pokemon, so nobody noticed for a few weeks.

            Until all the security pokemon guarding the Plateau vanished. That was when Gary decided to do something.

            He called a meeting.

            Lance looked up from where she and the other elite were eating lunch. "What is it, Gary?"

            You seem troubled. Will put in.

            Karen nodded. Is it because we've lost our protection? 

            "Only partially." Gary concluded. "I think there's a serious problem."

            "Like an epidemic?"

            "Sort of." Gary frowned. "I've been getting reports. Pokemon vanishing everywhere."

            "Space aliens?" Karen suggested.

            "Maybe…"

            Lance closed her eyes. "But where would they all go?"

            "No idea." Gary replied with a grimace.

            Will frowned. It's unnatural. 

            I know that, Karen chided.

            Lance sighed. "Well, anything we can do about it?"

            "Not that I know of."

            Gary scowled at the helplessness of the situation once again. He wished he could do something.

            "But what if the pokémon don't' belong here?" Lance volunteered in a strange tone.

            Will considered. "It is strange…"

            "Yes, there's so many of them and yet for years and years there were nothing but six or so types, and then a boom."

            "I wonder…"

            Karen trailed off and decided not to say anymore.

            Lance got up and got a glass of water, before sitting down again. "It's strange how fate plays out, very strange…"

            Something in her voice warned him not to press further, so he didn't'.

            However, he did follow her when she left the Plateau that night.

            "Ash…"

            Gary blinked. She knows Ash?

            A shadow separated itself from the wall and walked over to her. "Lance-chan, I'm lonely…"

            "You are?" A smile peeked through that voice.

            "Claire will stay, but she's not good company like you are. I think moping is a hobby of hers."

            Lance chuckled. "Oh."

            "And I'm hungry."

            "Well, let's go grab a bite to eat." Lance said. Ash followed her obediently.

            Gary went back to the Plateau. He was still surprised that Ash was here though.

            Ash spun his illusions as the air-headed cheerleader stepped into his web, before she collapsed.

            Smiling at his success, he fed.

            Lance watched, nodding. "Very good, Ash." She stroked his wings gently after he had finished. They watched the moon in silence.

            _I love you. This isn't a fling or anything like that._

_            We're two of a kind, alone and together._

_            I don't want to leave you. It's no sickly clinging façade of romance. It's the fact that you're my savior._

_            You're my light in the dark, you know._

_            I know. But you taught me how to love the darkness, and how true friends did not always look fair._

_            Looks are superficial things, very false._

_            We're all wearing our masks, you know._

_            I know._

            There was no smog up on the rooftop. They watched the moon continue its path across the sky, unchanging.

            It was a reminder, in a way.

            Love was more than a brief tumble in the grass together. It was commitment and promises and loyalty.

            In a way, it was like training a pokemon, only you were binding yourself to someone else.

            It was in the early hours of the morning, as the pink streaks of dawn stirred the grass in neatly kept lawns, before they returned to the realm.

            Peace.

            No, not really, just stability in a calm world, but still, it was wonderful.

End Chapter!

Completed 12/31/03, created 12/30/03


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Look to Nintendo or Shogakukan comics of pokemon is what you desire. I own the story and my own characters, things like that.

Notes: for telepathy, for thoughts, _italics_ for pokemon speaking.

Might as well put up all of it…

Chapter 11: Ending

            It was a month later. And Gary was one of the few who still had pokemon.

            Some trainers carped about the fact, others were relieved they didn't have to train the creatures. Many new industries collapsed.

            One such was the poke ball industry. With so few pokemon around, there was really no need for capture items.

            Potions still went strong, as battling pokemon required many potions.

            Devon and Silph merged and lay off a good percentage of their workforce to save money. Cutbacks and ferreting later, the unemployed were grumbling.

            Gary was extremely worried that one day he would wake up and discover his pokemon were missing, but it never happened.

            Lance turned in her resignation a few days later.

            "Why?" Gary asked pleadingly.

            "Because, I have no purpose. Nobody gets past Will and Lorelei." Lance replied. "And with hardly any pokemon here, what's the point?"

            It was valid, true. But…

            "You can't go." Gary pleaded. "I love you."

            "Love?" Lance turned slanted eyes on him. "Gary, just because you want me to sleep with you does not constitute the fact that you love me.'

            Gary colored at the blatant accusation.

            "I don't do flings.' Lance continued. "And I won't betray the trust of the one I am bound to."

            Gary could have sworn he saw the faint sparkle of a ring on her finger before she slipped her black gloves on.

            "Do you have a better reason for me to stay here, Gary?"

            Gary was silent as he digested the information. It was not agreeable, but truth was not beauty always.

            He had to shake his head in defeat.

            She nodded and placed the papers on his desk, and then effectively walked out of his life.

            A strange chill filled the air the next day, and when the sun came out, it shone on a desolate world.

            Crying could be heard throughout the streets as people lamented the loss of their prized fighters and breeders.

            A few pokemon centers remained open, but many were closed, the Chanseys having been stolen at the same time as the others.

            Team Rocket, a news anchor suggested, but when the rocket bases were investigated there were no pokemon there either.

            He saw them walking in the park together, with another girl. She had pale blue hair streaked in shadows.

            Ash looked blissfully happy, and he felt jealous, but his friend had love and he himself did not.

            Still, there was something jealous and undeniably dark hiding in that relationship. Lance kept her eyes open for anyone who even thought of flirting with Ash, he observed when a junior trainer began babbling to him and invited him to dinner.

            Lance's eyes literally blazed fire, if looks could kill that was one prime example. As it turned out, the junior trainer found herself on fire with a glaring Dragonair towering over.

            Gary shuddered. Perhaps going near them was not a good idea. But the other girl was cute…

            "I'm so glad it's finished." Lance told Ash. "The realm is back to normal."

            Ash grinned and chirped happily. Claire glanced over at them in slight puzzlement. "So every time pokemon escape, you seal them back in?"

            Lance nodded. "If we didn't, the angels would kill a new one every hundred years or so. We can't have that."

            "True…" Claire mused. She knew that in terms of power, she was vastly weaker than both of them, but at the moment, it wasn't a pressing problem.

            Going back to the angelic world was not exactly a happy thought, so she shoved it into the back of her head. Not likely, in any case. Besides, she couldn't. Her wings already showed streaks of black, and soon they would be entirely dark.

            Dratini purred from her shoulders, and Claire squeezed the little pokemon affectionately. Kawaii… why did the Counsel think the poor elemental creatures were dark and so doom them to eternal darkness?

            She would never understand. At least she didn't need to feed yet.

            As she watched, Ash sighted prey and his golden eyes narrowed a fraction. Lance gave a nearly invisible nod as he trotted towards the man of his choosing.

            The scientist looked up in surprise. "What do you want?"

            Ash smiled. His clothes changed with a thought, and that always came in handy. At the moment, he wore dark blue, jacket and pants like a trainer might, and a dark brown backpack.

            Popping open the backpack, he showed the man a heap of poke balls.

            "I'm in the business of selling pokemon. I know your supplies are nearly exhausted. So, I just stopped by to see if you were interested." Ash said, voice dizzying like brandy or some other alcoholic substance.

            The scientist looked around warily. "Are you affiliated with Team Rocket?"

            "Oh, by no means… I work alone." Ash said, as he proffered a poke ball for inspection.

            Checking through the clear top, the man nearly choked when he saw that it contained a rare Charizard. "I…see…" He stammered. "Excellent quality."

            "I have more at my office.' Ash said, indicating a tall skyscraper. "Third floor, would you like to see more and maybe we can work out an arrangement?"

            "Certainly!" The man gasped. It wasn't as if he would find something like this in the future. Wordlessly, he followed the young man up the stairs and into the office, where sure enough, shelves of poke balls stood.

            As he moved to examine them, the last thing he felt was a sharp pain in his neck.

            Ash dropped the limp man on the ground, he would wake up the next morning feeling hung over, but that was it.

            Lance gave him a casual wave from where she was peeling an orange into sections and chewing them one by one. "Excellent work. He couldn't even tell between illusion and reality."

            "True." Ash replied, and then they turned to mist and both escaped.

            The next day, Professor Elm found himself on a park bench with a horrible headache. But, when he checked his pockets he found that a check for sixty thousand dollars had been written and given away, and lying next to him were four poke balls containing a Meganium, Feraligatr, Typhlosion, and Charizard, all female and breed able.

            He thanked his lucky stars and quickly went back to New Bark Town. Wouldn't Ivy be jealous! Next time he saw the young man again; he would have to get his business name and address.

End Chapter

Started 12/30/03, finished 1/4/04


	13. Epilogue

Timeline: 2 months later

Disclaimer: I really don't own pokemon, so there! It belongs to Nintendo but this fanfic belongs to me. I'm not making any profit, and I'm not taking copyrights from them either.

Chapter 12: Tying up loose Ends

            Ash silently watched as Gary married Opal. "I hope they will be happy…"

            Lance raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't doubt it. How long have they been seeing each other?"

            "Years, I think it was during the time I was journeying with him."

            "Ah." Lance replied. "Interesting."

            "You may now kiss the bride," The minister intoned. Gary swept Opal up, spun her around, and kissed her.

            The audience cheered, while Gary's pokemon showered down rice and flower petals. The air filled with a delicious, light fragrance as they ran to the brand new red sports car, a gift from Ivy.

            Ash smiled as Lance slid her arms around him comfortably. "I'm happy for them."

            "Yes, it would seem so."

            "What about us?"

            Lance looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?"

            "Well…" Ash looked down. "I know we can't have kids, but I was just wondering… it might be interesting to adopt one?"

            Lance looked quizzical for a second, and then smiled. "It would certainly be different."

            "What do you think?"

            "I think that…" Lance focused on a far point in the distance. "Hold on, I just had an idea."

            "Yes?"

            "We'll pick up a little elemental child, they're rare but he or she could live with us without problems."

            Ash grinned. "Really?"

            "You ready to become a father?"

            "Well… let's give it a try. Nice personality though."

            "As if I'd do any less.' Lance laughed softly.

            They went over to the orphanage and, sure enough, found a fire sprite, only two years old. She was quiet and couldn't cry, as befitted her magic type.

            A day later, the papers were signed, and the two new parents moved into their new, four-bedroom house in New Bark Town.

            After that, well, that's another story. But they did live quite happily.

            It wasn't perfect…

            But it worked.

The End

Started 1/4/04, finished 3/13/04

Should I write more semi-supernatural championshippy fics?

Yes/no, tell me!


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